1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a ski boot having a foot holding device. More particularly, the invention relates to a foot holding device with a selectively tensioned pull element.
2. Description of Related Art
A ski boot of this type is known from European Patent Application Publication Nos. EP-A-0423 584 and 0 423 585. In each of these boots, a front shaft part surrounding the lower tibia region of the leg, a rear shaft part surrounding the heel region of the foot and a lower fibula region are pivotally articulated on a shell part surrounding the foot. Each boot has a sole and a pair of axes, including a longitudinal axis running parallel to the sole and a transverse axis running at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the boot. The interior of the ski boot is delimited by the shell part and the shaft part. A foot-holding device is disposed in the interior of the boot. The foot holding device includes a cable-type pull element that reaches around a holding element covering the instep of a foot in a saddle-like manner, and a heel cap. The pull element is guided from the rear around a tensioning element of a tensioning device present in the sole region and displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the boot.
The movement of the tensioning element occurs through the joint pivoting of both the front and rear shaft parts. To this end, the front shaft part is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an actuating lever arrangement, which is pivotable about the transverse axis and coupled to control elements which are displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the boot. The control elements have rack-shaped toothings that mesh with toothed wheels rotatably mounted on the sole and are in engagement with corresponding toothings on the tensioning element. If the shaft parts are pivoted back into a standing position, in which they run approximately at right angles to the sole, the tensioning element is consequently situated in its rear end position, corresponding to the skiing position, the tensioning element is displaced towards the front in the longitudinal direction of the boot. This displacement results in the tensioning of the pull element and, consequently, the pressing of the holding element and of the heel cap against the foot.
Provided between the shell part and the front shaft part is a catch device that detachably holds the shaft parts in the desired forward lean position. The catch device can adjust the forward lean position. The shaft parts can also pivot in the direction toward the front, beyond the set forward lean position. Consequently, the more the shaft parts are pivoted toward the front and out of the standing position, the greater the pull element is tensioned. This tensioning can lead to an unpleasant pressure on the foot of the skier by the foot holding device, especially when the forward lean position is greatly inclined towards the front.